Not So Quiet Night
by amyyrileyy
Summary: Sara goes through a horrible ordeal. Who's there to help her out? Sara/Catherine friendship. Slight Sara/Nick.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Not So Quiet Night  
Author: Amy  
Rating: T  
Spoilers: I highly doubt unless you haven't seen seasons 1-3.  
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own anything.  
Author's Note: Okay, this is my first CSI fic. I've written Charmed & ER before. I just started watching it so I've only seen a few new ones and the first three seasons, thanks to DVDs. This is kind of set in Season 3, I wanna say. Not that it matters too much. Mostly Sara/Catherine friendship just because I think they really should have gotten along better. Snickers thrown in there, too. Please, review and let me know what you think. I've already finished about half of this so the faster/more reviews I get, the faster I update. As for the title, I haven't the slightest idea. It's saved as Untitled on my computer so please, ideas?  
Summary: Sara goes through a horrible ordeal. Catherine & Nick are there to help.

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**Chapter One**

It was unusually quiet night for the graveyard shift at the Las Vegas Crime Lab. All of the previous cases had been closed or solved and so far, nothing new needed investigating. While supervisor Gil Grissom was holed up in his office, working on God only know what experiment, the rest of his team was hiding out in the break room. Catherine Willows, also known as the "mother" of the team, was sitting at a table, reading a magazine while occasionally laughing at her co-workers, Warrick Brown, Nick Stokes, and Greg Sanders, as they played some ridiculous video game. The remaining CSI, Sara Sidle, was curled up on a couch staring at a phone, obviously very happy with whomever she was talking to via text messages.

"What'cha doooing, Sara?" Greg, having lost his turn, flopped down on the couch next to her.

Sara smirked at his goofiness before putting her phone down and replying, "I'm talking to Hank, if you must know."

"Really? Anything interesting happening on his end?" Greg tried not to show his dislike for the paramedic whom Sara was currently dating.

"No, just as dead as us. Apparently, crime took the night off." She sighed. "Which is great but incredibly boring."

"At least we're getting paid to do nothing." Greg pointed out.

"Valid point."

Their good fortune came to an end, though, when Grissom walked into the room at that moment.

"You guys can go home." He announced. "If anything comes up, I'll page you."

"You sure, Gil?" Catherine asked, looking up from her magazine.

"Yeah, we might as well save hours so you don't have to worry about maxing out on overtime." He replied, looking straight at Sara.

"All right, I get it. I'm gone." Sara stood up and walked out of the room.

"Well, that's very unlike Sara." Catherine stated. "I've never seen her leave that fast before."

The rest of the team nodded in agreement before Greg abruptly stood up and ran towards the door.

"Sara!" He cried out. "Wait for me!"

Grissom raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"His car is in the shop. Sara's his ride." Nick explained.

"Right. Anyway, go home and get some rest. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be busy." Grissom said.

"The calm before the storm." Warrick emphasized.

"Exactly. I'll see you all tomorrow, or tonight rather." Grissom looked at his watch, realizing that it was just after two in the morning.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Wanna get something to eat?" Greg asked as Sara pulled her Chevy Tahoe out of the parking lot.

"I would but Hank gets off in a half hour." Sara replied, grinning happily.

He nodded and turned to stare out the window. Hank was a nice guy; Greg would give him that but he didn't deserve Sara. For the life of him, Greg couldn't come up with any reason, besides him being nice, for Sara to like him. No, he wasn't jealous; he knew he'd never have a shot with Sara. He just didn't want her to get hurt and he was almost positive that Hank would hurt her in some way.

"Greg?" His thoughts were interrupted as Sara shook his shoulder. "Greg? You in there?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry." He shook his head. "Thanks for the ride. See you tomorrow, uh, tonight."

"Bye, Greg." Sara laughed, flashing her famous gap-toothed grin.

"Bye." He climbed out of the SUV and headed up to his apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I know the first chapter wasn't much so hopefully this makes up for it.

* * *

Chapter Two

Back at the lab, Nick turned to Catherine and Warrick before shutting his locker.

"Hey, what do y'all think about Hank?"

Catherine shut her locker and turned to face him. "He's nice, why?"

"I don't know. I mean, he's only been out with us a few times but he just gave me this weird feeling." Nick replied, sitting down on the bench to pull on his running sneakers. "He just seems… fake, for lack of better words."

"He was probably just trying to get on your good side. He knows we're family here and wants our approval. Otherwise, he knows Sara wouldn't, well… you know." Warrick tried to explain.

"One, ew. This is Sara we're talking about. Two, our opinions wouldn't matter that much to Sara and three, I don't think so." Nick stood up.

"That's true, Nicky, but Sara's a big girl. She can take care of herself and if she did run into a problem, which I doubt, she'll come to us." Catherine reassured him.

"I guess so…" Nick trailed off. "I just don't want her to get hurt."

"Neither do we but you have to trust her. She'll only get pissed if you don't."

Nick sighed. "You're right, Cath. I'm just a little paranoid, I guess."

"You are but that's all right. Just means you care about her." Catherine told him. "We all do. Now, let's go before Grissom finds a mountain of paperwork for us to do."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Hey, baby." Hank greeted, approaching the car Sara had just climbed out of.

"Hi." Sara smiled shyly. Something about him made her feel like a teenage girl all over again and she couldn't quite figure it out.

"Ready to go?" He asked.

"Yeah." Sara answered, handing him the keys. He had to be back for a 7am shift so she was just going to leave his car there.

The drive back to his apartment was fairly quiet; mostly Sara talking about her boring shift.

Once he pulled the SUV into the parking lot, Sara climbed out and took his outstretched hand before he swept her off her feet and kissed her. Surprised at the movement, Sara laughed against his mouth as he carried her to the third floor, breaking their kiss only for a quick second to unlock his door. Stumbling into his bedroom, Hank laid her down on the bed before pulling his boots off and joining her.

"Hank." Sara whispered as he descended down onto her lips again. While she had stayed over multiple times, she hadn't allowed things to go very far and he had respected that but tonight was different. "Hank, I'm ready."

"Sara, are you sure?" He stopped what he was doing to look down into her eyes.

Sara bit her bottom lip and nodded. "I am."

Hank responded by trailing kisses along her neck and collarbone, sliding his hands under her red polo shirt.

She gasped and opened her eyes at his sudden touch. Intending to return to the feeling, Sara started to close her eyes but something to her left caught her attention. It was yellow and lacy. She cringed, realizing that it wasn't hers. Biting her lip to stop the tears that were threatening to fall, she grabbed Hank's hands.

"Hank?" She refused to look at him, instead kept her eyes on the closet door.

"Sara? I thought…" He followed her gaze and found what she was looking at. "Shit." He though to himself. "I thought I cleaned everything up."

"That's not mine?" Her statement came out more like a question.

"Sara, listen. I can explain. My girlfriend came -."

"Girlfriend?"

"Ex. Ex-girlfriend. We broke up." He tried to explain.

"When?"

"Two nights ago."

"Two nights? Hank, we've been seeing each other for almost seven months now!" Sara exclaimed.

"I know, I… we had a fight and then I met you and -."

"I need to go. Where are my keys?" Sara pulled her shirt back down and wriggled out from under him.

"Sara, wait…" Hank followed her out of the room.

"Where are my keys?"

"Sara!" He grabbed her upper arm. "Listen to me. I broke up with her for you."

"No, no, you didn't. Please, don't lie to me, Hank. Just give me my keys and let me go." Sara said, struggling to keep her voice in check.

"Please, Sara…"

"No! Hank, let go! You're hurting me." She begged, tears spilling down her face.

Hank abruptly let go off her arm, realizing for the first time just how tight he'd actually been holding on.

Sara finally found her keys on the floor, next to the door. Bending down to scoop them up, she felt Hank's hand on her waist.

"Sara." He grabbed her wrist. "Please, just…" He started and pulled her in towards him. Moving his hand from her waist, he brought it up to cup her cheek and looked straight into her eyes. "Hear me out." Sara didn't answer but Hank saw her bottom lip tremble. Lowering his head, he captured her lips in his.

Sara pulled back almost immediately and brought her hand up to slap him. "Bastard."

"Ow, shit. Sara!" He let down of her and touched his already red cheek. "That hurt!"

Taking this to her advantage, she slammed the door opened, knocking Hank in the face in the process. After blindly running down the three flights of stairs, Sara continued straight through the pouring rain to her car and peeled out of the parking lot. Feeling her phone vibrating in her pocket, she yanked it out and looked at the caller ID. It was Hank. Sara took a deep breath and flipped the phone open.

"Hank, please, just leave me alone!"

"You bitch! You broke my nose! You're going to pay for that!" He was screaming on the other end.

Sara, actually scared for once, threw her phone onto the floor of the passenger side and sped up. Looking around, she realized that she was nearing the lab but then remembered that no one was there anymore. Well, no one except Grissom and she was definitely not going there. With that decided, Sara made a sharp left and continued towards the other side of the town.

She pulled into the driveway of her co-workers' house a few minutes later and shut the car off. Pausing to collect herself, Sara saw a light turn on insider and watched the curtains move. She climbed out of her car and walked towards the front door, wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to shield her from the pouring rain.

"Sara?" The door opened and Catherine stepped out onto the stoop, holding an umbrella above her. "Sara, what are you doing here?"


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I owe nothing. If I did, Grisson & Sara would never have been together. Ew.

AN: Thanks for all the reviews! Here's chapter three! Read & review, thanks!

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**Chapter Three**

"I, uh, I didn't know where else to go…" Sara sniffled as she stood in front of Catherine.

"What happened, honey? Come inside, you're drenched." Catherine ushered her inside the house and shut the door behind them. She sat her down on the couch and wrapped her in a big blanket before running down the hall to gather some dry clothes for her. The look in Sara's eyes scared Catherine; full of fear, sadness and insecurity. Catherine sat down on the couch next to her and pulled the blanket tighter. "Sweetie? Here, go change into these. I don't want you to get sick."

"Thanks." Sara shuffled into the bathroom and reappeared a second later, dressed in a pair of grey sweatpants and a light blue t-shirt.

"Sara? What happened?"

Sara hesitated before replying. "I went, I went to meet… Hank after I dropped Greg off. He got off at two-thirty and had to be back by seven so we… went back to his place… to sleep." Sara wiped at the fast falling tears that were streaming down her face. "There was a… a bra… hanging off the closet door but I didn't think it was mine. I mean, I know it wasn't mine. I've stayed there before but we never…" She trailed off, looking down at her hands.

"Never?" Catherine asked. "How long have you been together?"

"Almost seven months and no, never." Sara replied. "I told him tonight that I was finally ready though."

Catherine nodded. "What happened after you saw the bra?"

"I confronted him about it. He told me about… his girlfriend or ex-girlfriend now. They broke up two nights ago."

"Wait, his girlfriend? I thought you said…" Catherine was confused.

"They had a fight a while back, seven months back, and that's when we started seeing each other. I guess they never really broke up completely because they ended up back together." Sara explained. "He never told her about me."

"Bastard." Catherine muttered.

"I tried to leave after that but he stopped me, tried to apologize and he kissed me. I, uh, slapped him and ran. I think I hit him with the door cause he called me and started screaming at me. Threatened me for breaking his nose."

"He threatened you?"

Sara nodded slightly. "Told me I was going to pay for what I did."

"Did he hurt you?"

"No…"

"Sara?"

Sara turned away from Catherine, suddenly ashamed to let her see her like this.

"Sara? Please look at me." Catherine was almost begging.

"It's nothing."

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?"

Sara reluctantly pulled her right arm out from under the blanket and held it out towards Catherine. There was a very dark hand-shaped bruise on her upper arm and a similar but lighter one around her wrist.

"Oh, honey. Come here." Catherine pulled the crying CSI into her arms.

"I trusted him and he was just using me." Sara whispered.

"Shh… it's okay. You'll get through this." She pushed the younger woman's hair away from her face and kissed the top of her head.

It wasn't much longer before Sara was asleep, curled up in a ball with her head on Catherine's lap.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I still own nothing.  
AN: Here's chapter four. I've just about finished the last chapter so I'll be posting more and more each day. Thanks for the reviews! Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter Four  
**

Hours later, Sara woke to the sound and smell of breakfast being cooked. Pulling the blanket around her shoulders, she made her way into the kitchen to find Catherine, still dressed in a pair of striped pajama pants and a tank top, standing in front of the stove.

"Morning, sleepyhead." She greeted without even turning around.

"What time is it?" Sara asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Almost one. You slept for a good eight hours. French toast?"

"Uh, Cath? Why are you making breakfast in the afternoon?" Sara wasn't quite awake enough to manage her common sense.

Catherine stifled a laugh. "Not sure, just felt like French toast when I woke up. There's coffee brewing, too. It's almost done if you wanna grab some cups?"

They ate in a comfortable silence until Sara put her fork down and looked up.

"Um, listen, I'm sorry about last night. I wasn't thinking clearly when I pulled into your driveway…"

"Sara, it's all right. You know my door is always open for you. Day or night." Catherine smiled. Sure they had had their differences in the past but she was over it and knew Sara was, too. Well, almost… but that's Sara for you.

Sara returned the smiled and picked up her fork again. "You wanna go for a run?" She changed the subject.

"Sure, let me just change real fast." Catherine replied.

"Take your time, I have to run house and get some clothes, too."

"You can borrow mine. I have plenty."

"Really? Thanks."

"Not a problem." Catherine replied before disappearing down the hall, only to return a minute later. She tossed a pair of black athletic pants and a light pink tank top in her direction.

Ten minutes later, the two girls were standing on the sidewalk.

"Which way you want to go?" Sara asked.

"Well, the lab's only about a mile and a half that way. We can go there and back?" Catherine pointed to her right.

Sara nodded and the two took off in that direction.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I still own nothing.  
AN: Thanks for the review. Here's Chapter 5!

* * *

**Chapter Five  
**

Four days after the incident, Sara was finally back to her normal self. Her friends had been concerned but all Catherine would tell them was that Sara had broken up with Hank.

Waking up from a nap Tuesday afternoon, Sara decided to go to another run, something she'd had taken joy in recently, before heading into work early. Her case from the previous night had been a big one and she knew she'd need all the time she could get to solve it.

After lacing up her sneakers, Sara realized that she'd have to cut her run short today. It was going to be getting dark within the hour and she didn't fancy being outside by herself. Even though she hadn't heard from Hank since that night, she was still slightly paranoid about the situation. She decided to just make one quick trip around the block before coming back to shower and change.

It wasn't long until Sara arrived back at her apartment, stopping in the parking lot to catch her breathe. The sun had just set so the only lights were the few streetlights scattered throughout the lot.

As she headed towards the door of the complex, she heard the unmistakable squeal of tires behind her, followed by the screech of brakes. While the CSI inside her told her better, she turned around to find the source of the noise. Unfortunately, she didn't see much besides the fist coming at her face.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Still own nothing.  
AN: The next few chapters are going to be done in two parts. One from Catherine's point of view and one from Sara's. Make sure you take note of the time differences. Sorry if it gets confusing.**  
**

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**  
Chapter Six**  
_Lab - 12:25am_

"Hey, Catherine, have you seen Sara?" Grissom walked into the lab.

"Not since this morning." She replied, looking up from the microscope. "Why?"

"She hasn't come in yet. It's after midnight."

"Maybe she came in early and already took off to her scene?" Catherine suggested but when she saw Grissom's face, she changed her mind. "She hasn't clocked in yet?"

Grissom shook his head, his eyes full of concern and worry.

"Did you try calling her cell?"

"No answer."

"I'm on my way back out to my scene. I'll stop by her apartment."

"Thanks, Cath."

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

_11:20pm_

"Oww…" Sara groaned as she opened her eyes. Her head was throbbing and her mouth tasted like blood. "What the hell…?" She attempted to prop herself up on her elbows but instantly fell back down onto the seat as intense pain shot through her left arm. Biting her bottom lip to suppress any cries of pain, Sara used her right arm to push herself into a sitting position. Squinting in the dark, all she could make out was brick walls. She figured she was in some alley but before she could decide where, the door in front of her swung open.

"Hey, Sara."

Sara cringed at the sound that she knew all too well.

"Hank."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Still nothing.  
AN: Thanks for reading. By the way, is it actually said in an episode that Sara was a member of the mile high club? I've seen it used in a lot of fics and I was just wondering if it was true.

* * *

**Chapter Seven**  
_12:50am_

Catherine had called Sara's cell twice and was now pulling into the parking lot of her apartment complex. She saw Sara's Tahoe in her usual parking spot and pulled in next to it. Pushing her hair out of her face, she looked through the window of the vehicle but nothing seemed out of place. She climbed the three flights of stairs to Sara's apartment and knocked on the door. When no one answered, Catherine started getting worried. She turned the knob; knowing Sara always locked up and cringed when the door opened.

"Sara?" Catherine stepped through the doorway. Having never been inside her co-worker's apartment, she wasn't shocked to find it in almost perfect condition. Sara definitely was a neat freak. Turning around to close the door, something caught her attention. Bending down to get a closer look, she squinted at the side of the door. Suspicions confirmed, she pulled her cell phone out and hit speed dial four to call Sara once again. Catherine wasn't surprised to hear Sara's ringtone coming from, what she assumed, was her bedroom. "Shit…" She ran out of the apartment and back to her car before peeling out of the parking lot. Flipping her phone open again, she hit speed dial five before turning the red and blue emergency lights on her dashboard on and speeding off towards the lab. "Grissom, it's Catherine. We may have a problem."

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

_Alley - 11:30pm_

"Hank, please." Sara struggled against him as he pulled her out of the car, slamming her against the brick wall.

"Shut up, Sara. I waited seven months for you and I'm not waiting anymore. You said you were ready." Hank spat at her, tugging at her tank top.

"Please…" Sara cried, tears streaming down her face. "Hank, don't do this."

"I'll do what I please, bitch." He snapped, connecting his fist to her stomach. "Now, stay still. This will be much easier if you don't fight me."

"No!" Sara scared as she continued his work but the Vegas nightlife easily drowned her out.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Own nothing.

* * *

**Chapter Eight  
**_Lab - 1:10am_

"What do you mean 'not there'?" Grissom asked.

"Her car was there, her clothes for work were on the couch, her cell phone was in her room." Catherine explained. "The lock had been picked."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure, Grissom!" Catherine sighed, having already gone through this once with the police. "I'm sorry, I just -." She was cut off when Grissom's phone began ringing.

"Grissom." He answered. "Hang on." He held the phone out to her. "It's for you."

Catherine raised an eyebrow and took the phone from him. "Willows… I'll be right there. Thank you."

"Is she…?" Grissom couldn't bring himself to continue.

"They found her. I have to go. They suggested no one else though."

"Cath…"

"I'm sorry, Gil. I'll call you with any information. Don't tell the others yet." She said, referring not only to her to fellow CSI's but the rest of the lab, as well.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

_12:25am_

"Now I'm glad we waited. This was so much better than I expected." Hank released his grip on her, letting her crumble to the ground as he buckled his pants. "I'd love to stick around for another round but work calls. You know how it is." And with that, he climbed back into his car and drove away, leaving her in the alley.

Struggling to gather what was left of her clothes, Sara crawled towards the end of the alley, hoping to find a pay phone but her body had other ideas. She felt herself collapse to the ground before falling unconscious.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.  
AN: Okay, back to normal chapters. Thanks for reading.

* * *

**Chapter Nine**  
_ Alley – 1:35am_

"Where is she?" Catherine practically jumped Detective Vega when she arrived at the scene half an hour later.

"There. We found her like that not even ten minutes ago but she won't let anyone near her. She needs to get to a hospital. Think you can get through to her? She kept saying your name when we tried to get anything out of her."

"Thanks, Sam." Catherine nodded before heading towards Sara. She knelt down in front of the younger CSI. "Sara? Honey, I need you to look at me."

For the first time since the paramedics had arrived, Sara moved. She blinked a few times and looked up at Catherine.

"Cath?"

"Yeah, honey, it's me." She replied, taking in Sara's injuries. There was dried blood under her nose, her mouth was still bleeding and there was a deep horizontal cut above her right eye, which was also bruised and swollen. She could see that there was a large amount of bruising and other scrapes around her neck, arms, and legs. Knowing there was more damage under the large EMT jacket that was covering the rest of her, Catherine had to fight back the tears.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Catherine put her hands on Sara's knees.

"Interrupting your life again."

"Sara, listen to me. You're doing nothing of the sort."

"But -."

"No, Sara. I mean it." Catherine said sternly. "Now, I need you to let the paramedics take care of you."

"Parame… Hank… No, Catherine, no." Sara's eyes went wide in fear.

"Sara, Sara, listen to me. Hank isn't here. He isn't going to hurt you again. We're gunna go to the hospital, take your statement and day shift is going to get all the evidence so we can send that bastard to jail where he belongs. You're safe, I promise."

Sara hesitantly nodded. "Okay…"

Catherine waved the paramedics over. "I'm going to stay right beside you, Sara. You let me know I you need anything at all."


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: And once again, I still own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter Ten **

The ride to the hospital was mostly silent with the occasional whimper from Sara.

"Catherine, does Grissom…?"

"No, I didn't tell anyone. I told Ecklie to take the case and not let anyone know." Catherine replied. "They're going to want to visit, you know that?"

Sara shook her head. "No, I don't want…them to see me…like this."

"Sara?"

"Hurts, can't breath." Sara's eyes grew wide in panic.

"Shh, Sara. It's okay. We're almost there. Stay with him."

One of the paramedics stood up and grabbed an ampu-bag. "You need to speed it up there, Bill." He told the driver.

"Sara, c'mon. Open your eyes. Stay with us. I can't lose you now. Who else is going to stand up to Ecklie for us? Or help me tease Greg? Oh, Sara… you have to stay with us. Nick will never forgive himself."

"Nick…" She heard Sara whisper before falling unconscious.

The paramedic quickly began bagging her as they pulled into the emergency entrance of Desert Palm Hospital. The next few minutes were a blur for Catherine as they raced into the emergency room and doctors began shouting orders.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

_2:30am_

"Ma'am? We need some information forms filled out." A nurse handed her a clipboard almost twenty minutes later.

"Is she… how is she?"

"She's stable but we need this consent form signed for surgery."

"Surgery?"

"There's a possibility that one of her ribs punctured her lung, which may explain why she was having difficulty breathing. She's going up to x-ray now." The nurse explained. "Do you know a… Catherine Willows?"

"That's me, why?"

"She has you listed as her emergency contact. That allows you to give consent."

"Me? What…how come I didn't know? I thought it was Grissom?" Catherine spoke more to herself than the nurse.

"It looks like she changed it to you… three days ago. Did she know something was going to happen?"

"Uh, no. She broke up with her boyfriend and he wasn't happy about it but I don't think she knew this would happen. She probably did it just to be safe. That's what she does."

"Okay, well, I need you to sign this paper and fill out this paperwork as best as possible. She'll most likely be upstairs for about another hour and a half so I would suggest going home to gather a few things for her, call her family…" The nurse kept talking but Catherine stopped listening when she felt her phone vibrating in her phone.

"Willows." She answered. "Yeah, I'm here now. Can you have Nick come pick me up? I left my car at the scene. Oh, okay. Thanks." She took the pen from the nurse and quickly scribbled her signature before taking the rest of the paperwork from her. "What was that, Grissom?"

_"I asked if she was okay."_

"I'm not sure yet. They said she was stable but they're doing x-rays and tests to make, uh, make sure she doesn't need surgery."

"Surgery? Does she need me down there? What can I do?"

"I don't, I don't know. I need to get some clothes for her and fill out paperwork. I don't know anything about her, Grissom. I can't do this." Catherine couldn't hold back the tears any longer.

_"It's all right, Catherine. What kind of paperwork do you have?"_

"There medical papers. Can, can you get her file ready for me? I have -."

_"I can do that. Fill out the paperwork. Have Nick bring them back to the lab while you go home."_

"I have to do it, Gil. Emergency contact."

_"Emergency contact? When did she change that?"_

"I'm not sure. Did Ecklie go to the scene? Her apartment?"

"Yes, he's already gone and cleared everything. They didn't find anything at the apartment but there was evidence in the alley. It's being processed now."

"Okay. I see Nick coming. I'm going to stop by my house first and then I'll be in. Thanks, Gil."

_"Be careful, Catherine. I don't want to have to visit you in the emergency room tonight, too."_

"I will." She hung up the phone just as Nick pulled up.

"Catherine, what happened?"

"I can't… She doesn't want me to tell anyone." Catherine replied. "Just…she's all right for now."

"What?"

"Please, Nicky. I told her I'd let her tell you herself. Day shift is already processing the scenes."

"Scenes? It was Hank, wasn't it? I'll kill that bastard!"

"Nick!"

"Catherine, you know we're a family here. You can't just not tell us anything."

"I know, I want to. I just…oh, forget it. Yes, it was Hank. We have to wait for her to wake up to know what happened for sure but we're pretty positive that he assaulted and raped her."

Nick was silent for a minute before responding. "Is she going to be okay?"

"She's a fighter. If anyone can get through this, it's her." Catherine replied. "Turn left here. I need to get her some stuff."

"Didn't you say her apartment was a scene?"

"Yeah, we're going to my place."


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven **

_5:00am_

Two and a half hours after Sara had been admitted, Catherine was back at the hospital, sitting in a chair next to her bed. Sara hadn't needed surgery but she had started waking up while they were working so they had to sedate her. Now they were just waiting for her to wake up again.

Back at the lab, Catherine had told Grissom, Warrick and Greg the same story she had told Nick. The news had not gone over well, especially with Greg but Grissom had managed to keep everyone calm for the time being.

She had left after that, taking Sara's file to an empty conference room to fill out the hospital paperwork before leaving for Desert Palms again. Brass had called to tell her that they had Hank but because no statement had been made and the evidence wasn't strong enough to stand alone, they had been forced to let him go.

Holding Sara's free hand in between her two, Catherine sighed. "C'mon, Sara. I need you to wake up. Just tell me you're okay. We all need you back. We're family now. We can't function properly if one of us is missing. Greg almost attacked Hank when he saw him at the lab. Please, wake up, sweetie. Who else is going to help me with Lindsey? You know she looks up to you. I know you'll say that's crazy but it's really not. I really admire your determination and individuality. Your spunk gives the lab that extra flair that we need. I just hope you'll let us help you with this. If not the others, at least let me help you."

Catherine wasn't sleeping very long when she felt Sara's hand move ever so slightly in hers. She raised her head from its position on the bed, cursing herself for falling asleep at such an awkward angle.

"Sara?" She felt Sara squeeze her hand again and stood up. "C'mon, Sara. Open your eyes, sweetie. You gotta look at me." She reached over and pressed the call button on the wall. "Please, Sara. Just open your eyes."

A young nurse had appeared in the doorway. "Is everything okay?"

"I think she's waking up. Can you get Dr. Walker?"

The nurse disappeared without a word and in a few seconds, reappeared in the doorway, followed by Dr. Walker.

"Has she opened her eyes?"

"No but she's holding onto my hand pretty tightly." Catherine said through gritted teeth, glancing down at her left hand, which was starting to turn white.

"It looks like she's having a nightmare. The best thing right now is to talk to her, try to wake her up." Dr. Walker explained, looking down at her beeping pager. "That's a trauma coming in." She looked back up at Catherine. "Keep talking, make sure she knows you're here. If she wakes up, we'll be able to take the tube out her but for now let's leave it in, just in case. I'll be back to check soon."

Catherine looked back down at the younger CSI. Her eyes were moving beneath her eyelids; she was definitely having a nightmare.

"Sara, sweetie, open your eyes. It's okay, everything's okay. Just open your eyes."


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

_6:30am_

After another ten minutes of trying to calm her down, Sara's eyes finally fluttered open.

"Hey, honey." Catherine smiled. "It's about time you woke."

Sara's eyes went from confusion to sheer panic when she realized that she couldn't speak because of the tube in her throat.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. Dr. Walker's already on her way back here so we can get this tube out. Just stay calm. You're okay." Catherine explained.

"Miss Sidle!" Dr. Walker walked back into the room. "I know you must want that tube out, huh? Okay, on the count of three, I want you to blow really hard. Ready? 1…2…3…good." She swiftly pulled the tube out and stepped aside so they nurse could help Sara drink some water.

"Catherine?" Sara's grip on Catherine's hand loosened slightly but she was still holding on tightly.

"Oh, Sara, I'm so glad you're okay."

"What…happened?"

"You don't remember?"

"I remember going for a run but after that, it's all a little fuzzy."

"Do you remember seeing Hank, honey?"

"He…" Sara paused, trying to remember. "He was at my apartment… in the parking lot. I heard the brakes… something hit me and… an alley. I woke up in an alley… in a car."

"Good, good." Catherine nodded. If she couldn't remember then there was no way they would be able to nail Hank. "What else, sweetie?"

"I tried to get out but my arm…" Sara looked down at the hot pink cast of her left arm.

"Your wrist was fractured." Dr. Walker explained. "We had to set it while you were sedated."

"Pink?" Sara questioned.

"Sorry, I wasn't here to fend them off with a stick for that one." Catherine smirked, remembering a conversation from a few days ago. They were looking at Catherine's old photo albums when Sara stated that she would beat them off with a stick if they tried to stick a pink one on her. "Do you remember what happened after you woke up?"

"Uh…the door opened…" Sara's brown furrowed for a second before her eyes widened as she remembered everything. "Hank. He pulled me out of the car. I… I hit the wall, my head. I tried to scream but he, he wouldn't let me. He… ripped my shirt." Sara shook her head as the tears began pouring down her face.

"I'm sorry. Can you give us a minute?" Catherine asked Dr. Walker.

"Sure, just call me when you want the exam done."

Once Dr. Walker and the nurse had left the room, Catherine had turned her attention back to the girl in the hospital bed.

"Shh, Sara. It's okay, you don't have to tell me."

"I, I need to. If I can't tell you, how will I be able to tell anyone? I need to. Otherwise, he'll go free." Sara told her. She took a deep breath before continuing. "He ripped my shirt off and…pulled my pants off. Th-then, he dropped, dropped his pants. He kept _touching_ me. I tried to get away but he just hit me every time. I didn't want… to give up but he was too strong and I hurt… I should've kept fighting."

"Honey, this isn't your fault." Catherine tried to comfort her.

"He… he raped me, Catherine. Twice." Sara hung her head, too ashamed to look at her co-worker. "We're trained to prevent this. I should've fought harder. I should've tried -."

"Sara." Catherine cut her off. "Sara, listen to me. You didn't do anything wrong. He did. He was wrong. This is not your fault."

"I -."

"No." Catherine used her free hand and lifted Sara's chin to look her in the eye. "Promise me, Sara. Do not every think this is your fault."

Sara didn't respond at first but nodded slightly. "Okay."

"Good." Catherine smiled. "You're going to be okay, Sara. We'll get you through this. Everyone's waiting at the lab for you. Greg already tried to attack Hank when he was brought in for interrogation."

Sara had to smile at that.

"Honey…" Catherine paused. "Dr. Walker is going to come in do an exam. Is that okay?"

Sara opened her mouth but snapped it shut and nodded instead.

"Okay, she's going to fill you in on the rest of your injuries and that kind of stuff, too. Then, you're going to have to give your statement to Detective Vega, okay?"

Sara nodded again as there was a knock at the door and Dr. Walker stuck her head in.

"Ready?"

"Yeah." Catherine replied. "I'm going to go call the lab, okay?"

"Nick?" She asked hopefully.

"I'll call him." Catherine smiled. Everyone at the lab knew how Sara and Nick felt about each other, even if they, themselves, didn't see it.

"Okay, Sara, I need you to lift your knees as much as you can. Don't over do it." Dr. Walker told her, sitting on a stool at the end of the bed.

"Honey?" Catherine looked down at Sara. "I need my hand back."

Sara looked confused for a minute before realizing that she was still holding onto Catherine's hand. "Sorry." She whispered and let go.

"It's all right. I'll be back in a little while." Catherine kissed her forehead and headed out of the room.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

_8:00am_

Once Catherine had called the lab to update the rest of the team, she sat down in the family area down the hall from Sara's room.

_"Why Sara? She doesn't deserve this. Why would anyone do this to her? Yeah, she does come across as stubborn and sometimes too… independent for her own good but she's really just a sweet, innocent, lost little girl on the inside. Growing up was hard enough. She put up all these walls to protect herself and as soon as she thinks it's safe to lower them, this happens. I can't let her put those walls back up. I need to help her understand that there are some people that she can trust. She doesn't have to hide from us. I want to meet the girl that she's hiding."_

So deep in thought, Catherine didn't hear Dr. Walker come into the room.

"Ms. Willows?"

"Huh?" Catherine jumped at the sound. "Oh, sorry. Just thinking…"

"That's all right. Sara's talking to Detective Vega now. We collected some hair and semen from the exam that we'll send to the lab. I think she is still in slight shock from this. She probably shouldn't stay by herself for a while."

"She's going to stay with me." Catherine interrupted.

"Okay, well, she'll be able to leave by tomorrow if everything checks out. I'll write out a prescription for pain medication." Dr. Walker explained. "Now, during the exam, I noticed a small tear."

"What?"

"It's small enough to repair itself." She reassured the CSI. "It's going to take some time, though. I'm sure you already know but no intercourse until it's healed. Hell, I wouldn't even recommend wearing thongs. It's going to be very, very sensitive while it heals. Some people have said that water helps; baths, swimming, whatever. If any problems arise, bring her in right away."

"Okay." Catherine nodded. "Thank you."

"Just doing my job. Now, would you mind if I took a look at your hand? Sara seems to have quite the grip."

Catherine held her left hand out, realizing for the first time, just how sore it was.

"Well, nothing's broken but it's definitely bruised. Let me wrap it up and you'll be fine in a few days." Dr. Walker told her before pulling some gauze and medical tape out of her lab coat pocket.

"Catherine?" Detective Vega walked into the room. "She's asking for you. We took her statement and with all the evidence collected, this will seal the deal. It shouldn't even go to court."

"Thanks, Sam."

"You're all set." Dr. Walked finished wrapping her hand and stood up.

"Thanks." Catherine stood up and followed her out of the room before going their separate ways.

"Catherine!" She heard a voice from behind her. "What happened to your hand?"

"Hey, Greggo. Sara had a very good hold on it for a while."

"How is she?"

"She'll be fine. She's a fighter." Catherine smiled at the balloon and flowers that Greg was holding. "Nice balloon."

"You think she'll like it?"

"She'll love it. C'mon, she just finished talking to the police." Catherine led the way to Sara's room. "Ready?"

Greg nodded and followed Catherine into the room.

"Hey, Sara. You have a visitor."

Sara opened her eyes and smiled at Greg. "You bought me a balloon? And lilies?"

"I remember you saying that they were your favorite." Greg replied, hesitantly approaching the bed. He knew female rape victims didn't deal with male contact very well.

"Thank you, Greg."

"How you feeling?"

"Better. Still sore but definitely better. The doctor said I could go home tomorrow."

"That's great!" Greg sat down on the side of the bed. "Everyone was worried. Even Ecklie."

"Ecklie?" Sara was shocked.

"Yeah, he made the case top priority."

"Wow, I thought he would have been jumping with joy at the prospect of me being out of work." Sara said. "How's the rest of the team? You know, besides being worried about me?"

"Well, Grissom put Nick and Warrick on a DB case that they only solved because he threatened to stick them with decomps for the next month." Greg told her. "They're coming by soon. Wanted to shower and change first so you didn't kick them out."

At that moment, there was a knock on the door and the three remaining members of the graveyard shift stepped into the room, each carrying balloons, candy and flowers.

"Hey, girl." Warrick stooped down to kiss her forehead. "You gave me quite a scare. Let's not do that again, huh?"

"Okay, 'Rick." Sara smiled.

"He's right, darlin'. You're much too important to lose." Nick followed Warrick's move and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"I'm glad you're okay, Sara." Grissom said from his spot at the end of the bed.

"Thanks, guys." Sara yawned. "Is that candy for me?" She grinned sheepishly. "I'm starving."

"Of course it is." Nick handed her the giant bags of M & M's and Sour Patch Kids, which he knew was her guilty pleasure.

Staring at both bags like her life depended on it, Sara decided on the Sour Patch Kids. "Um…" She held the bag out to Greg, who was still sitting on the right side of her bed. "Will you open this?"

Greg obliged and handed the bag back to her.

After offering the candy to the rest of her visitors, Sara leaned back against the pillows, munching away happily while everyone else filled the room with chatter.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

_10:00am_

It wasn't long before Sara handed her bag of candy back to Catherine and curled up into a ball as best she could on her left side before yawning and closing her eyes. Grissom had already left, saying something about paperwork and Warrick and Greg were getting ready to head home to sleep.

"We'll stop by Catherine's tomorrow after shift." Warrick told her, referring to himself and Greg. "Get some rest, baby girl."

"Thanks for coming by." Sara opened her eyes slightly and smiled.

"I have to go pick up some things for the guest room. I'll be back in a few house once Lindsey makes it to my mothers'." Catherine stood up. "Get some sleep, sweetie."

"Mmm…" Sara mumbled sleepily.

Once Catherine was gone, Sara opened her eyes to realize that Nick was still sitting in a chair on the left side of her bed.

"I guess I'm going to head out, too. You need sleep." Nick started to stand but Sara stopped him.

"Will you stay? Until I fall asleep? I really don't like being alone in hospitals." She blushed.

Nick sat back down and smiled. "Of course, darlin'."

Using her not broken hand, Sara reached out to grasp Nick's hand, lacing her fingers through his before closing her eyes again. The last thing she saw was Nick moving closer to the bed and resting their hands on the arm of the chair.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing stilllll.

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

_4:30pm_

When Sara awoke a little over six hours later, the first thing she noticed was that Catherine was now sitting where Nick had been.

"Nick?" She croaked, her throat dry from sleeping.

"He left a couple hours ago. He has to work tonight." Catherine replied, looking over the top of her magazine. "He left you a friend, though."

Confused, Sara followed Catherine's gaze down to her arms, where she found herself clinging a stuffed dog with a note attached to it.

_"Couldn't find any penguins but this guy reminded me of you. Feel better, darlin'. Love, Nick."_

Sara smiled as she looked at the dog. It was brown and black with floppy ears.

"He really cares for you, Sara." Catherine put her magazine down in her lap.

"He's just being a good friend, Cath. That's it." Sara denied.

"Honey, I'm neither blind nor stupid. I've seen the way he looks at you. I've never seen him look at anyone with that much love and respect." Catherine told her. "And I've seen the way you look at him when you think no one else is around. It's in your eyes."

"I- he- we…" Sara stuttered. "We're just friends. Best friends."

"Riiight."

"I've seen the girls he's dated, Cath. I'm not his type at all. Those girls are gorgeous. I could never compare to them. Why would he want boring ol' me?"

"Sara!" Catherine exclaimed. "Why do you sell yourself so short? You're a beautiful, strong, independent woman. Guys would be lucky to have you."

"Hank didn't seem to think so." Sara stated. "Neither did Paul or John."

"Hank's a dumbass. He didn't deserve you. Who are Paul and John? College?"

"Paul was my physics partner. We dated for almost two years before I found out that he'd been cheating on me for seven months. John was my neighbor during my stay at my last foster home. We went to the same high school, senior year. He was my first real boyfriend. We went to Harvard together freshman year. He dumped me for my supposed best friend and transferred to Yale with her." Sara explained.

"Honey, that's not your fault." Catherine knew Sara had a hard past but she didn't know the details of it.

"Yes, it is. I have… it's really hard for me to trust people. They knew and used it to their advantage. They got me to trust them and knew I wouldn't suspect anything. I shouldn't have let them in. They used my past to hurt me even more."

"Sara…" Catherine tried to make sense of her friends' logic. "Even if that is true, which it isn't, I can tell that Nick's love is genuine. He won't hurt you. Hasn't he proven that to you by being such a good friend the past year?"

"It's not just him…" Sara whispered after a minute. "I can't trust myself."

"What? Why, honey?"

"I just don't want to turn out like her."

"Who, Sara?"

"My mother." Sara closed her eyes, trying not to cry. "She, uh, stabbed my father to death when I was little. She was an alcoholic and he was abusive. I went into foster care when I was eleven." She paused. "I just don't want to become her."

Catherine wasn't sure how to respond. "You know there's no such thing as a violence gene, Sara. Yes, you're strong-headed and stubborn but you're one of the most caring, individuals I know. There's no way you could inflict any pain on anyone, unless they absolutely deserved it. Well… except Greg."

Sara paused, smiling a bit. "I'm just scared. I mean, have you ever wanted something so much even though it scared the hell out of you?"

"Sara, if I tell you that I've been in a similar situation recently and it's worked, will that help?"

"I already know how you feel about Warrick." Sara stated.

"What? How?"

"Woman's intuition? I've known for a while now."

"That's it. As soon as you're better, we're going away for the weekend. Sam has a cabin up north. It's on the water and everything."

"That sounds really good." Sara agreed, trying to hide a yawn.

"Get some rest. It's after seven and you get to go home tomorrow." Catherine said. "I'm going to grab some dinner. You want anything?"

Sara shook her head. "No, thanks."

Catherine frowned. "Sara, you have to eat."

"I'm really not hungry."

"Okay, I'll be back in a little while then." She nodded hesitantly and headed out into the hallway.

"Hey, Cath?" Sara called.

"Yeah?" She stuck her head back into the room.

"Maybe some crackers?"

Catherine smiled and disappeared again.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

_8:15am_

When Sara woke the next morning, the bright sunlight pouring through the window was practically blinding her. Rolling onto her back, she threw her arm over her eyes and groaned.

"Sleeping Beauty has awoken!" She heard Greg's voice from across the room.

"What's going on?" She opened her eyes slightly to see Nick, Greg, and Catherine sitting at a makeshift table in front of the couch. "What time is it?"

"Just after eight." Catherine told her, putting her cards down.

"In the morning?" Sara asked. "How'd I sleep so long?"

Nick and Greg took this as their cue to let Catherine and Sara talk. "We're going to go get some breakfast. Want anything?" Nick stood up.

Sara shook her head, still confused.

"Coffee." Catherine replied.

"All right. We'll be back." He said, heading into the hall with Greg trailing behind him.

"Catherine?"

"You were having a nightmare and I couldn't wake you." She explained. "I called a nurse because we were really trashing around. You stopped breathing for a few seconds." Catherine paused. "The doctor wanted to do CPR but you started breathing again. They thought you were okay so they just kept you under observation, waiting for you to wake up. They gave you morphine because you hit your wrist and seemed to be in pain. That's why you slept for so long."

Sara didn't respond at first, instead resorted to chewing on her bottom lip. "Can I still go home today?"

"I think so. Dr. Walker wants to check you out first but I don't think there's any reason why you shouldn't be able to go."

Sara nodded. "When did Nick and Greg get here?"

"Around six. They finished their case early. Warrick and Grissom are going to stop by when they're through."

Before Catherine could continue, there was a knock on the door and Dr. Walker walked in.

"Good morning, girls."

"Good morning." Catherine replied while Sara smiled weakly.

"Ready to get out of here?" She asked Sara.

"Yes, please."

"Okay, I'm just going to check your vitals and injuries before I let you leave."

Sara nodded and grabbed Catherine's hand, realizing for the first time that it was bandaged. "Catherine?"

"Not now, honey."

"Vitals look good." Dr. Walker announced. "Your wrist and ribs are healing nicely. You're going to have to take it easy until your rubs heal completely though. You don't want to damage them more. That means no work for at least another week and when you do go back, you aren't to go out into the field until you come back for an exam and I clear you."

Sara reluctantly nodded, knowing that there was no use arguing.

"Okay, I want to do a quick pelvic exam and then you're free."

"I'll go wait outside." Catherine said.

Sara shook her head. "Can you stay? Please?"

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, Sara. I need you to bend your knees as much as possible." Dr. Walker said as she took a seat on the stool at the end of the bed.

Sara winced as she brought her knees up as far as she could. She felt Catherine squeezing her hand and tried not to cry as Dr. Walker started the exam.

Catherine looked down at Sara, who had her eyes squeezed shut. "Sara?"

"It's hurts, Cath. It didn't hurt this much the first time."

"Dr. Walker?" Catherine tore her eyes away from Sara. "Is something wrong?"

"Everything looks to be okay." Se replied, standing up. "Sara, do you remember the first exam?"

"Not really but I do know it didn't hurt that much."

"Okay, well, there's a good possibility that that's because you still had some pain medication in you but it was also right after you woke up and realized what happened. You were most likely still in shock."

"So you're sure nothing else is wrong?" Catherine double-checked.

"No, the tear is healing nicely and the bruising and swelling has gone down a considerable amount." Dr. Walker replied. "I'll leave your paperwork at the front desk and this is the prescription for the pain medication. So unless you have any more questions, you're free to go. I'll have a nurse come take the IV out and bring you a wheelchair."

"Thank you." Catherine responded for the both of them.

"Take care, Sara, and make sure you come back in if anything else comes up."

"We will." Catherine replied as Sara nodded slightly.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Oh, you caught me. I really do own everything. Riiiight, how I wish.

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

_9:30am_

Not long after Dr. Walker left, did Nick and Greg return. Sara was sitting in a wheelchair, clutching her stuffed dog while Catherine threw all her belongings into the overnight bag she had packed.

"Time to go home?" Greg asked.

"Yep. Dr. Walker cleared her." Catherine replied.

Nick handed her her coffee and took the bag from her. "We'll get this stuff out to the car and follow you back to your place."

"Thanks, Nicky." Catherine bend down to tie one of Sara's sneakers before pushing her out of the room and down the hall to the elevator that would take them down to the parking garage.

Half an hour later, Catherine was pulling her Tahoe into her driveway, Nick pulling in after her.

As they slowly made it towards the house, the front door was thrown open to reveal Lindsey waiting with Grissom and Warrick sitting on the couch behind her.

"Sara!" The young girl exclaimed, carefully wrapping her arms around her middle to hug her.

"Hey, Lindsey." Sara smiled weakly.

"Me and Warrick made you cookies!"

"Warrick and I." She replied with a grin. "And thank you."

"I brought some things over from your apartment and the spare bedroom is all set up for you, if you're tired." Catherine told her.

"Actually, I kind of just want to watch TV?" Sara asked.

"Sure, I'm going to make some breakfast. Anybody want anything?"

"I'll help, Cath." Greg volunteered.

"Do you have any cereal?" Sara asked. "I don't want to make my stomach mad at me."

"Sure do. Special K, Fruit Loops or Cocoa Puffs?"

"Mmm, Special K, please." Sara replied, letting Catherine help her settle into the recliner.

"Guys? Want anything?" Catherine turned to the three men sitting on the couch. "French toast? Eggs? Cereal?"

Grissom shook his head. "I'll just get some coffee."

"French toast and eggs sound great, Cath." Warrick answered while Nick nodded in agreement. "How're you feeling, girl?" He turned his attention to Sara.

"Sore." Sara replied. "I can't come back to work for another week."

"Sara…" Nick started.

"I know, I know. I have to let myself get better. Can someone put the feet up on this? My ribs hurt sitting like this and I'm afraid to move the wrong way."

"I got it." Nick pulled the lever and slowly pulled the footrest up.

"Thanks, Nicky."

"Sara!" Lindsey came running down the stairs and skidded to a halt next to the chair. "I bought these for you yesterday." She held out a piece of paper with two temporary tattoos on them. There were purple butterflies on one and yellow flowers on the other. "They're for your cast."

"Aw, thanks, Lindsey. You wanna go get a washcloth and we can put them on?"

Lindsey nodded eagerly and ran off again, returning a minute later with a wet washcloth in hand.

"Breakfast is served!" Greg announced from the doorway, holding a giant plate of French toast and a bowl of cereal, Catherine following behind with another plate of scrambled eggs, a pot of coffee, and coffee mugs.

"Getting tattooed, Sara?" Catherine smirked.

"Butterflies and flowers!" Lindsey exclaimed.

"Oh, sure you can handle the pain?" Greg laughed.

Sara just glared at him. "I'm sure I can, Greg. I've got a real one, ya know."

"Do you really? Where?" He inquired.

She lifted her pant let up and slipped her sock down.

"Ohh, I like that." Catherine stooped to get a closer look.

"Thanks." Sara blushed before taking her cereal from Greg.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: not mine

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**  
_One Week Later_

"You ready to go, Sara?" Catherine called down the hall. "Your appointment is in an hour."

"Can you, oof, help me?" Sara's voice came from the guest room. "My sweatshirt is stuck."

"What?" Catherine shook her head and walked into Sara's room. "What did you do?" She couldn't help but laugh at the sight before her. Sara had a CSI hoodie pulled over her head with one arm in its' sleeve and the hood up and twisted, covering half of her face, hair skewed.

"I can't get my arm through the sleeve." Sara huffed, spitting hair out of her mouth. "Stupid cast."

"Okay, here. I'll hold the sweatshirt and you slide your arm through."

"Thanks." Sara slid her arm through the pulled the hood down, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Didn't I just put your sweatshirt in the wash this morning?" Catherine asked.

"It's Nick's. I borrowed it last month when it started down pouring on us at a scene."

"And you haven't given it back, why?"

"I keep forgetting?" Sara suggested with a smirk.

"Liar." Catherine stated.

"What? I like it."

"Uh huh. Have you talked to him yet?"

"No... I don't know what to say." Sara replied. "Besides, we're never really alone."

"Go out somewhere. See if he wants to get dinner before shift tonight."

"I don't know…"

"Sara!" Catherine exclaimed. "Where's your phone?" She dove onto the bed and grabbed Sara's cell phone off of the bedside table.

"Catherine!"

"Stokes…Stokes…Stokes…" Catherine scrolled through the phone book. "Oh, it's ringing."

"Catherine!" Sara tried again.

_"Stokes."_

"Nicky! It's Catherine."

_"Catherine? Why are you calling from Sara's phone?"_

"Not important. Are you on tonight?"

_"No, I'm off actually."_

"Oh, really?"

Frowning, Sara simply sat on Catherine's back and whacked her on the back of the head.

"Oof! Sara, what have you been eating?" Catherine groaned.

_"What is going on over there?"_

"Sorry, Nick. Sara just sat on me."

_"What? She sat on you?"_

"Yeah, here, talk to her." Catherine handed the phone to Sara, who simple shook her head. "Sara, take the phone."

"No."

"Sara Ann Sidle. Take the phone right now."

"No."

"Sara!" Catherine was getting frustrated now.

Nick was just listening to the two girls bicker. _"Catherine?"_

"Oh, sorry, Nick. Sara's being a baby."

"Am not." She replied, crossing her arms across her chest. Well, as best she could with her cast.

_"Was there a purpose for calling me?"_

"Yeah, Sara wanted to ask you something but now she's refuses."

"Right. Can I talk to her?"

"Sara, Nick wants to talk to you." Catherine said in a sing-song voice.

"I hate you." Sara groaned, taking the phone from her. "Hey, Nick."

_"What's going on?"_

"Uh, nothing."

_"Right… What did you want to ask me?"_

Sara looked down at Catherine, who was watching intently. "Do you wanna getdinnertonight?"

_"What?"_

"Do you wanna get dinner tonight?" Sara spoke slower this time.

_"Oh, sure. I'll pick you up at seven."_

"Okay."

"I'll see you then."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Sara hung up the phone and turned to Catherine. "I hate you." She climbed off the bed and frowned at the closet. "I don't have anything to wear."

"C'mon, let's get to your appointment. We'll find something afterwards." Catherine got off the bed. "Jeez, I think you broke my back."

"Don't exaggerate." Sara smirked and walked out of the room. "You deserved it."


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Not Mine.

* * *

  


**Chapter Eighteen**

_3:00pm_

"Excited to go back to work tomorrow?" Catherine asked as they drove home two hours later.

"I'd be more excited if I wasn't stuck in the lab." Sara groaned.

"It's only for a week, Sara."

"I know. It's going to be the longest week of my life."

"At least you have Greg to keep you company." Catherine smirked.

"I bet he's going to love that."

"Hey, did Nick pick a restaurant yet?"

"Yeah, he sent me a text. Some place called 'Mystique'. Not sure where that is."

"Oh, that's nice. Eddie took me there once."

"How nice?" Sara hesitantly asked.

"Casual nice. Not like ball gown nice but definitely not work clothes. You need a dress." Catherine explained.

"A dress?" Sara squeaked.

"Yeah, you know those things that woman wear when they want to look nice and show off their incredible legs?" Catherine remarked smartly.

"One, I know what a dress is. Two, I do not have incredible legs and three, I don't think I own a nice dress."

"Well, I guess it's time to go shopping." Catherine grinned and made a left turn to pull into the mall parking lot.

Sara groaned, remembering the last time she braved a shopping trip with Catherine. It took an hour and a half to decide on a pair of plain black heels.

"So, I'm thinking a black, red or green color." Catherine stated as they trooped through the mall. "Sara, stop dragging your feet. Let's go in here."

Sara frowned and reluctantly followed.

"Let's see…" Catherine started digging through the rack, handing Sara dresses as she went.

"Uh, Catherine?" Sara's arms were full of dresses a few minutes later. "I think we have enough."

"Oh, good point. C'mon, let's go try they on." Catherine led her to the dressing rooms. "Try this one on first." She took all the dresses butt one from her arms.

Half an hour later, they had agreed on a simple black, v-neck halter dress that came to just above her knees.

"Let's find some shoes now. I have the perfect purse to match that dress." Catherine stated, dragging her across the store.

"Oh no…" Sara groaned.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.  
AN: I seem to keep forgetting to thank you guys for all your reviews. So thank you! It's quite encouraging.

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**Chapter Nineteen**

It was just after five-thirty when the two women finally returned back to Catherine's.

"I'm going to go shower." Sara announced.

"Okay, hurry. Nick's going to be here in less than an hour and a half."

"An hour and a half? Why do I need to -. Never mind." She shook her head.

Fifteen minutes later, Sara walked into the kitchen, dressed in a pair of grey athletic shorts and a white tank top.

"Sit." Catherine pointed to a stool at her breakfast island.

Sara did as she was told and sat down looking at all the hair products that Catherine had laid out.

"Catherine… you have enough product here to supply an army."

"I've been told that many times." She grabbed the hair dryer and set to work.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Are you done yet?" Sara whined almost forty-five minutes later.

"Almost. Don't whine." Catherine replied, adding another bobby pin to Sara's hair. She had parted her hair slightly to the right, twisted the top half up, and then, curled the bottom half. "Still have to do your makeup."

Sara pouted and slumped down farther in her chair.

"Sara!" Catherine scolded but couldn't help by smile. "Look, your hair is done and your makeup won't take long. Trust me. Don't move." She walked off and came back not even a minute later with a handful of makeup. Catherine didn't lie. She was finished less than five minutes later. "Go get dressed."

"Thank God." Sara sighed, running off to her bedroom before Catherine could slap her.

"Don't mess up your hair!"

"I wouldn't dare." Sara came out of the room, already changed, carrying her heels.

"That was quick." Catherine noted.

"It never takes me long to get ready." Sara replied as she sat down on the couch to put her shoes on.

"I don't know if I should scold you or praise you." Catherine sat down beside her.

"Eh, it's just the way I've always been."

At that moment, the bell rang and Catherine jumped up. "Go grab your purse. I'll let him in." She tried not to appear too excited but failed miserably. "Hi, Nicky!"

"Hey, Catherine." He stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him.

"Sara's just grabbing her purse. She'll be out in a minute." Catherine told him before heading to Sara's room. "Sara, honey? What are you doing?"

Sara was seated on the edge of the bed with her head between her knees. "Hyperventilating."

Catherine shook her head, trying not to laugh. "Sara, just take deep breaths. It's just Nick. You'll be fine."

"I know, I just… is it too soon? After Hank, I mean?"

Catherine silently cursed herself for pushing Sara into this. "Sweetie, if you don't want to go, you don't have to. I'll go tell him. I shouldn't have pushed you into this."

"No! It's not your fault. I want to, I really do. I just… I don't want him to expect anything."

"Trust me. I doubt he's expecting anything at all. Nick's not like that."

"I know, I don't know. I guess I'm just nervous." Sara sighed.

"It's normal. You'll be fine, I promise. I'll beat him up if tonight is anything but perfect." Catherine told her.

"Thanks, Cath." Sara smiled weakly.

"That's what I'm here for. Now, come on. There's a very nice looking man out there waiting for you."

Sara followed Catherine out into the living room where Nick had made himself comfortable on the couch.

"Hmmm." Catherine cleared her throat. "Comfy, Nicky?"

"Huh? Oh, hey." Nick smiled at Catherine before turning to see Sara. "Wow, um, you… wow." He could feel the color rising to his face.

"Thanks, Nick. You don't look so bad yourself." Sara smirked. He was dressed in a pair of khaki-colored dress pants and a light blue short-sleeved dress shirt.

"Oh, here, there are for you." He handed her a bouquet of purple and white lilies.

"They're beautiful. Let me just put them in water and then we can go." Sara started towards the kitchen but Catherine stopped her.

"I got it. Go have fun."

"Thanks." Sara whispered before turning back to Nick. "Okay, uh, let's go then."


	20. Chapter 20

AN: Thanks for everyone who read this all the way through and especially those who reviewed. I might consider a sequel to this, haven't decided yet. I've already got a different one started and my first CSI Miami one going. Let me know what you think?

Disclaimer: Sadly, nothing is mine.

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**Chapter Twenty**

Later that night, Sara and Catherine were lounging on the couch in their pajamas, watching some Lifetime movie. Well, Sara was attempting to watch it but Catherine had different plans.

"What'd you do? How was the dinner? What was he like?" She kept spouting out questions.

"Catherine!" Sara finally gave up. "We went to dinner, he was a perfect gentlemen. We went for a walk through a park, he bought me an ice cream come and brought me back."

"Aww. Did he kiss you?"

Sara shook her head. "No, but we did make plans to go out again next week."

"Eee!!" She squealed, clapping her hands.

"That was my ear drum, Cath." Sara groaned but couldn't seem to get the grin off her own face.

"But it's so exciting!" Catherine hugged Sara.

"Yes, yes it is." Sara smirked. "Now, we just have to work on you and Warrick. Double date!"

THE END


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